One of the best things about my apartment in Galway is the kitchen. When we moved in, it was already stocked with all the necessary cooking supplies for pretty much anything we might need to cook. My roommate and I started cooking very early on in the semester in part because we are both cooking enthusiasts and in part because we didn’t have very much to do back then. Much like back home, my go-to dish has been pasta this semester, but in the spirit of being in a new place I have been trying new things with it and am quite proud of the results. Having a kitchen is really beneficial when studying abroad because you can save a lot of money on food and manage to eat food that is relatively healthy. Even though I indulge myself pretty often in Ireland because there is so much good food to be eaten, I still try to prepare healthy meals regularly so that I can keep my energy up and avoid getting sick, something that gets overlooked by a number of people who study abroad. It also works out because I can make enough of something to last for a few days and when I come home at the end of the day my dinner is already finished and just needs to be heated up. Cooking is a very big part of Irish life. Student housing in Ireland is very different from student housing in the U.S. in that there is no meal plan or dining halls. Students who do not live at home cook all of their meals in the kitchens in their apartments. Some students choose to live in “the digs” which are apartments in Irish homes where the owner of the house will provide meals as a part of the students’ rent. The landlords in the digs usually make the students’ lunches every day and send them off to school with them. There is a café on the college campus at NUIG but a large number of students simply bring their own lunch. My Irish roommate goes home every weekend, as do most Irish students, and when she comes back, she usually brings leftovers from something her mom has made over the weekend, which makes my American roommate and I very happy. For many Americans, it may seem unrealistic that Irish students would be able to cook all of their meals for themselves as soon as they get to college, but many of them have been responsible for cooking meals at home for some time. It is a very interesting contrast with American college life, which is so dominated by on-campus eating options. Another great thing that has come out of having my own kitchen is that I have gotten really into baking things like cakes, cookies and pies. It all started when the woman that hosted us for our homestay early in the semester gave us some recipes for the apple tart she made while we were there. I tried replicated it when I got back to Galway and when it turned out well, I started baking more stuff. I was never really much of a baker back home but now, one of the things I am most excited to do when I get home is show off my new, amazing baking skills. My roommates and I have spent many hours together in the kitchen baking amazing desserts and it has almost been the cornerstone of our bond as roommates. Ireland has definitely taught me, among countless other things, the magic of making my own food.
Becoming a Better Baker #GWU #GWAbroad